The National Editors and Writers Conference (NEWS) is an annual two-day event presented by Express Media for students editors, publishers and contributors across Australia. This year, The NEWS Conference will be presented on January 28 and 29 on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne.

Over two days, Express Media presents a jam-packed line-up of workshops, panels, presentations about everything it takes to put a student publication together. Participants learn the nitty-gritty of publishing and editing from the best in the business, including journalists, writers, media professionals and former editors, and have the chance to network with student editors from around Australia.

It is the only formal professional development opportunity for newly-appointed student media editors, and equips new editors and writers for their year ahead.

The NEWS Conference is the perfect opportunity to ask all your burning questions and get valuable advice so you hit the ground running. After the completion of the conference, student editors are better equipped with the tools they need to succeed in their new roles, and leave the conference feeling confident and ready to tackle the upcoming year of publishing.

MONDAY JANUARY 28

REGISTRATION
8.30AM – 9.00AM

MEDIA FUTURES: OPENING ADDRESS BY ALICE PUNG
9.00AM – 10.00AM
What will Australian media look like in 15, 30, or 50 years? How can it reflect a country’s people, culture, and values? Join award-winning writer, editor and journalist Alice Pung to kickstart The 2019 National Editors and Writers Conference. Get ready to interrogate the flaws in current media structures, systems, and practices, before we imagine an equitable and ethical future industry, from the individual journalist to the the organisational empire.

SO, WHAT’S A STUDENT EDITOR ANYWAY?
10.00AM – 10.30AM
You’ve got your own chair, desk and computer but where do you start? Join Express Media’s Creative Producer Bethany Atkinson-Quinton to uncover what it means to be an editor, meet your network of peers and publications, and set your goals for 2019.

#BREAKING: REPORTING FOR STUDENT MEDIA FOR NEWBIES
10.30AM – 12.00PM
Journalism is the bread and butter of many student publications, and they say you have to know the rules in order to break them, so come learn from the best. If you’ve never written a lead, join Broede Carmody (The Age)to unpack the basics of finding, writing, and dealing with the important stories for your publication.

OR

#BREAKING: REPORTING FOR STUDENT MEDIA FOR OLD HATS
10.30AM – 12.00PM
If you have more by-lines than fingers and are across journalism 101, join Beverley Wang (ABC RN) to upskill your reporting with an advanced jam-packed masterclass for reporters wanting to refine and polish their skills.

LUNCH
12.00PM – 1.00PM

EVEN SANTA COMES WITH A CLAUSE: MEDIA LAW & ETHICAL REPORTING
1.00PM – 2.00PM
From defamation, to copyright, to the ethics of being a fair journalist, Dr Josie Vine (RMIT) shares the ins and outs on how to not get sued, fired, or assassinated by student politicians and your readers.

THE LIBRARY IS OPEN: ARTS & CULTURAL COVERAGE
2.00PM – 3.00PM
Rave review or just raving? Shaad D’Souza (Noisey, VICE) will walk you through how to commission and edit arts and culture articles and discern the insightful from the inarticulate.

OR

ALL THE #FEELS: OPINION PIECES & COMMENTARY
2.00PM – 3.00PM
Award-winning essayist, comics artist and poet Eloise Grills will give you the inside scoop on how op-eds and commentary should be presented by covering representation, voice and what to consider during the editing process.

AFTERNOON TEA
3.00PM – 3.30PM

HEALTHY BODY, HEALTHY MIND: PRACTISING SELF CARE
3.30PM – 4.30PM
Whether your self care involves looking at pictures of puppies on the internet, learning how to say ‘no’ or getting in those 8 hours of sleep a night, being an editor can sometimes be a stressful time. In this important workshop, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant Niveen Rajabdeen shares some strategies and coping techniques for how to manage your workload all whilst keeping on top of your mental and physical well being.

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL: DAY 1 REFLECTIONS
4.30PM – 5.00PM
While student publications all have something in common, sometimes it’s like comparing apples and terrible metaphors. Reflect on the day gone and learn about other publications – their structures, audiences, teams, and goals – in this rapid-fire session as we flip the tables around and you become the experts.

HI THERE – DINNER AND DRINKS
5.00PM
Grab a bite and bev to celebrate the end of the first day of The 2019 National Editors and Writers Conference.

TUESDAY JANUARY 29

REGISTRATION
8.30AM – 9.00AM

EDITING AS CULTURAL CONSERVATION: OPENING ADDRESS BY BRIDGET CALDWELL
9.00AM – 10.00AM
What does your editorship mean to you and to the communities you are accountable to? How can you use the year ahead to positively influence robust and nuance conversation? Join Managing Editor of Blak Brow Bridget Caldwell, a Jingli Mudburra writer, editor and artist as she unpacks the editorial processes involved in creating Blak Brow, collective storytelling, and editing as an act of curation, cultural conservation, facilitation and community building.

WHY IS YOUR MAG SO SAD? IT HAS TOO MANY ISSUES: MANAGING A PUBLICATION
10.00AM – 11.00AM
Join Adolfo Aranjuez (Archer) to look at the basics of editorial cycles and project management for print and online production. You’ll learn everything from scheduling and deadlines, to following a style-guide, managing a team of editors and writers, and dealing with a printer.

DOT YOUR I’S AND CROSS YOUR T’S: EDITING 101
11.00AM – 12.00PM
If you make a mistake in print, it’s there forever. Join Hella Ibrahim (Djed Press) as she delves into the nuts and bolts of editing, teaching you how to master language for publication, outline the different stages of editing, explain why proofreaders are your bffs, and guide you through best practice for editing new writers.

OR

GROWING YOUR AUDIENCE AND COMMUNITY: ONLINE STRATEGY & BEYOND
11.00AM – 12.00PM
So you’ve got a twitter and an instagram account, then what? With the increasingly digital nature of audiences,  the importance of social media engagement for print publications is bigger than before. Jini Maxwell (The Lifted Brow) will show you how to extend your impact on campus and take you through the basics of reaching out to new writers and readers all whilst maintaining a loyal audience and community.

LUNCH
12.00PM – 1.00PM

HOW TO HERD CATS: MANAGING TEAMS
1.00PM – 2.00PM
On a team with your best mate or complete stranger? Asking your talented friends to contribute? Running a publication can involve managing a lot of people, agendas and aspirations. Learn how to constructively manage and work with a team of editors and writers with Express Media’s CEO and General Manager Lucy Hamilton and keep your editorship conflict-free.

CROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT: GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR STUDENT MEDIA FOR NEWBIES
2.00PM – 3.00PM
Need to layout a magazine, edit artwork, input changes, or export a file for the printer? If you’re taking your first steps into design and are mildly terrified, join Laura La Rosa (Blak Brow) to learn the basics of graphic design for print and online publications and get familiar with InDesign.

OR

CROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT: GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR STUDENT MEDIA FOR OLD HATS
2.00PM – 3.00PM
For experienced users of InDesign, or if you’re in charge of your magazine’s design, join Alan Weedon (Swampland) to level-up to the next stage and get your publication ready for distribution, and gives you practical advice for working with those mythical creatures: graphic designers.

AFTERNOON TEA WITH THE EDITORS
3.00PM – 4.00PM
Do you have a burning question? Or, something you need to get off your chest? Come have lunch with student editor alumni and current professional editors that have been there. Pick their experienced brains, and ask questions of other publications. Grab a tea, and pull up a chair and hear from the best: Bhakthi Puvanenthiran (Crikey, Ex-Farrago), Jini Maxwell (The Lifted Brow), Julia Kanapathippillai (Ex-Catalyst), Alan Weedon (Swampland, Ex-Catalyst), Mira Schlosberg (Voiceworks, Ex-Arna, Ex-Honit Soit).

LIFE AFTER STUDENT MEDIA
4.00PM – 5.00PM
Whether you’re taking part in your student publication because it’s fun or because it’s a practice run for heading a media empire, editing student media gives you a lot of practical real-world skills. Bhakthi Puvanenthiran (Crikey, Ex-Farrago)chats in conversation with Mira Schlosberg (Voiceworks, Ex-Arna, Ex-Honit Soit) about how they translated skills into the work they wanted and what they wish they’d known when editing student media.

MIC DROP: DAY 2 REFLECTIONS
5.00PM – 5.30PM
That’s all folks! This is time for thank-yous, a time to reflect, to exchange numbers and to look to the year ahead.

ARTISTS

Adolfo Aranjuez | @adolfo_ae
Adolfo Aranjuez is editor of film and media periodical Metro and editor-in-chief of sexuality and gender magazine Archer. He is also consulting editor of Liminal, subeditor of Screen Education, and a freelance writer, speaker and dancer. Adolfo’s nonfiction and poetry have appeared in Meanjin, Overland, Right Now, The Manila Review, Cordite, Peril and elsewhere, and he has worked with and performed for the Melbourne Writers Festival, the Emerging Writers’ Festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival, ABC TV, Midsumma, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Adelaide Film Festival, The Wheeler Centre, Multicultural Arts Victoria, NIDA, Queerstories, Voiceworks, and various schools and councils
http://www.adolfoaranjuez.com

Alan Weedon
Alan Weedon is a publisher and photographer. His work has been published in VICE, i-D, and The Quietus, among others. Currently he’s a journalist in the ABC Asia Pacific newsroom, and the Creative Director of Swampland—a print publication devoted to longform Australian music journalism and photography. Follow him on Instagram at @alan_weedon
https://alanweedon.co/

Alice Pung 
Alice Pung is an award-winning writer, editor, journalist and essayist. She has won numerous awards for her two memoirs, and her writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Monthly, The Age, The Saturday Paper, The Australian, Griffith Review, Meanjin, and The Lifted Brow. She is the author of Laurinda, Her Father’s Daughter, and Unpolished Gem, and the Editor of Growing Up Asian in Australia and My First Lesson. She is one of Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Novelists of the Year 2015, and the Artist in Residence at Janet Clarke Hall, the University of Melbourne. She has lectured at universities and schools all around Australia and overseas, and taught writing workshops to students from the ages of 8 to 80.
https://www.alicepung.net/

Bethany Atkinson-Quinton | @bethanyaq
Bethany Atkinson-Quinton is a broadcaster, producer, writer and educator based in Narrm. She has created audio documentaries for multiple broadcasters and podcasts including ABC Radio National, The Arts Centre and All The Best, among others. She is the Creative Producer at Express Media, Co-Founder and Co-Director of podcast network Broadwave, and broadcasts weekly storytelling show The Glasshouse on Triple R. She has presented podcast workshops with The Walkley Foundation, Emerging Writers Festival and Melbourne Writers Festival. Photo by Snehargho Ghosh. Twitter: @bethanyaq

Beverley Wang | @beverleywang
Beverley Wang’s journalism experience ranges from newspaper and wire service reporting to radio producing, presenting and podcasting. She is a former journalist for The Associated Press, program producer for Radio Australia and a founding producer of RN Drive, serving as the program’s executive producer from 2012 to 2017. In 2017, she made two seasons of It’s Not A Race, a popular ABC podcast about race, racism and identity in Australia. She is currently the producer and co host of Stop Everything! on ABC RN, all about the politics of pop culture. Photo by Leah Jing.

Bhakthi Puvanenthiran | @bhakthi
Bhakthi Puvanenthiran is Associate Editor of Crikey where she covers media and politics. Previously Bhakthi was a journalist and editor at The Age and Sydney Morning Herald covering arts, entertainment and business. She co-hosted the podcast Hard Bargain, is a regular media commentator and and sits on the board of the National Young Writers Festival.

Bridget Caldwell | @bridgetblou
Bridget is a Jingli Mudburra writer, editor, artist and activist. She is currently Managing Editor of Blak Brow, a First Nations issue of literary journal The Lifted Brow.

Broede Carmody | @BroedeCarmody
Broede Carmody is an entertainment reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He was the co-editor of RMIT’s student magazine, Catalyst, in 2014. Photo by Alan Weedon.

Eloise Grills | @grillzoid
Eloise Grills is an award-winning essayist, comics artist and poet. Her debut comics chapbook, Sexy Female Murderesses, has recently been published by Glom Press. In 2018, she was awarded the Woollahra Digital Literary Prize for Nonfiction for her Scum Magazine column, Diary of a Post-Teenage Girl, and The Lifted Brow & RMIT non/fictionLab Prize for Experimental Non-fiction. She was a finalist for the mid-year Walkleys for her illustrated review of the graphic novel, Eyes Too Dry, and is a joint winner of the 2018 Subbed In Chapbook Prize.
https://eloisegrills.com/

Hella Ibrahim | @djed_press
Hella Ibrahim is an Egyptian-Australian Muslim editor with a passion for activism through writing and publishing. She works as a project editor at an education publishing company on weekdays, and is the founder and editorial director of Djed Press, an online publication that provides a paid platform for creators of colour. Photo by Husny Thalib.
https://djedpress.com/

Jini Maxwell | @astroblob
Jini Maxwell is a poet, non-fiction writer, and a co-editor of The Lifted Brow. They previously directed National Young Writers Festival. They can be found posting about their three-legged cat @astroblob on Twitter and Instagram.

Dr Josie Vine
Dr Josie Vine has been teaching and researching in the RMIT Journalism Program since 2006. Her particular interests are in Journalism history and culture, the development of journalism’s ethical value and belief systems, and legislation and regulation of the journalism industry. She completed her PhD in 2009, and is currently researching the historical and cultural significance of Melbourne’s newsrooms.

Julia Kanapathippillai | @juliapillai
Julia Kanapathippillai is a freelance journalist and artist. They were a member of Catalyst’s editorial committee in 2018 and a subeditor at Lot’s Wife in 2015.  Julia has interned at ABC RMIT Fact Check, Canberra Times, ABC News Breakfast and The Feed. They’ve previously been an artist at National Young Writers Festival.
https://juliapillai.squarespace.com

Laura La Rosa
Laura La Rosa is a Melbourne-based graphic designer, writer, and the founder of creative comms agency, Woolf Communications. Having spent her earlier career working in marketing support, Laura later completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts and Design (Graphic Design) while throwing herself into numerous freelance and in-house design projects. Laura produces creative for small corporates, start-ups, financial services organisations, and grassroots organisations such as the original Sydney Women’s March and For Film’s Sake Film Festival. More recently, she was appointed to design the First Nations Edition of The Lifted Brow, Blak Brow Magazine. A content writer, producer and sporadic columnist, Laura has contributed to The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Catalogue Magazine, Eureka Street and FBi Radio’s All The Best. Originally from Western Sydney, Laura is a proud descendant of the Darug people. Follow Laura on Instagram and Facebook @woolfcomms

Lucy Hamilton | @LucyAHamilton
Lucy Hamilton is the General Manager and CEO of Express Media. Previously, Lucy was the Partnerships Coordinator at Regional Arts Victoria. She has held voluntary roles with Multicultural Arts Victoria and the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, and worked as a stage manager and production manager in the United Kingdom. Lucy is on the Management Committee of TLB Society Inc.

Mira Schlosberg | @miraschlosberg
Mira Schlosberg is a writer, editor and comics artist whose work has appeared in The Lifted Brow, Rabbit, and Ibis House, among other publications. They are the editor of Voiceworks and edit comics for Scum Mag. Their comic book, Guidebook to Queer Jewish Spirituality, is available through Glom Press.

Niveen Rajabdeen
Niveen is an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant and Yoga & Meditation teacher, trained in both Indian and Sri Lankan approaches to Ayurveda and specialising in Hatha and classical yoga. Her Richmond wellness centre offers Ayurvedic wellness plans, traditional ayurvedic treatments and everyday life and wellness coaching. Alongside classic yoga and meditation classes she also teaches sequencing aligned with Ayurvedic principles to address specific health concerns. Follow her on instagram @ananda.wellness.australia

Shaad D’Souza | @shaadsouza
Shaad D’Souza is a writer and critic from Melbourne. Currently the Australian Editor of VICE’s music vertical Noisey, he has written on music, art, fashion and television for publications including Pitchfork, Billboard, The Guardian, and i-D.

Registration for The NEWS Conference is $25, and includes membership to Express Media and a copy of Voiceworks. Registrations are now open, so you and your team can book your spot early. Plus, the first 10 participants to register will receive a 1-year subscription to Voiceworks.

Participants from previous years have said:

“I left with more confidence in myself to do this job.”

“I found The NEWS Conference incredibly invigorating in terms of helping me realise what a student press is actually capable of.”

“Student papers are a space for creativity and playfulness, but as editors we shouldn’t undersell our unique position and vantage point to jump in on the fights that matter.”

The 2019 National Editors and Writers (NEWS) Conference will be presented from 8.30am – 5.00pm, Monday January 28 and Tuesday January 29 at RMIT University.

Email Express Media’s Creative Producer, Bethany Atkinson-quinton, on creativeproducer@expressmedia.org.au if you have any questions.